Quoting surfeur51:

IMDb display name has the same problematic than common name in Invelos database. Dvdprofiler linking system would work perfectly with a correct list of common (display) names. This list could be Invelos based (as is CLT), and filled using the knowledge of all users, Spanish, Swedish, Norvegian,  French,... users giving correct spelling for actors of their country . Common name rule (most used) could be still used for real variants (Rebecca Romijn/Rebecca Romijn-Stamos). A new rule about birth year changed to specific ID for same name/different actor would also avoid that a lion (Shaka in "Flyboys") plays a girl (Shaka in "Flash Gordon")) as we can see in CLT.

This in my opinon wouldn't work. Alot of the incorrect original titles come from Europe, which also messes up the CLT. If they can't submit the original title for a blockbuster movie I don't want to trust them for a actor/crew name in my local database just because they come from the same country of the person. Just as you wouldn't want me giving what I find as the common name.

The whole BY thing is mishandled IMO. I believe, if you are going to have a field in a database, or database table, then you have the field with the intention it will hold data. So if there is going to be BY's, then I believe BY's should be added (once verified) for all cast and crew. If this was done the invalid/valid thing and the constant problems submitting/updating profiles would disappear.

I don't really understand the idea that BY's are only used when more then one actor share the same name. To me you may as well say "We only accept actor's last names, you can only submit a first name if 2 actors have the same last name" - that hits me with the same response as does the BY thing. Me, well it's all or nothing for me :-)

Quoting mediadogg:

Quote:
I don't use the Cast/Crew tools, so I don't know the answer to this: are there / could there be BY cleanup functions available? Seems like simple plugin fuctions. Does BY cleanup have to be such a PITA?

Mark's Database Query can list all the "not accepted" BYs.

Quoting surfeur51:

Quote:
On the other hand, the lack of BY when necessary is a real nightmare: I already spoke of "Shaka". One Shaka is a lion that plays in "Flyboys", the other one is a girl who plays in "Flash Gordon". No By is available, so they are linked in Invelos database, and the headshot of the girl is a head of lion...

Maybe it's a lioness......